


Stepping off the ledge

by OhGoshOhJeez



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: AU where Ed DOES commit suicide, Death, dark themes, suicide TW
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-17
Updated: 2018-03-17
Packaged: 2019-04-01 08:27:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13994394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OhGoshOhJeez/pseuds/OhGoshOhJeez
Summary: This was the right thing to do, wasn't it? Yes.It's not as if anyone would miss him.





	Stepping off the ledge

 

"Can I just say...this is CRAZY!" The Riddler roared at Edward, as he strung the rope up over the staircase. 

"Well, this whole thing.." He tightened the noose. "Was your idea, and you're the smart one, as you always tell me."

"Oh, very funny." Edward put the noose around his neck.

"Okay, fine!! Fine!" The riddler shouted and Edward looked at him. "You win!"

"What?"

"You. Win. You beat me, is that what you wanna hear?"

"That is very nice. But I still have to do it." He tightened the noose until it was wrapped tightly around his throat and started walking down the steps.

"WAIT! Wait, wait...What if there's a way to do this...Where nobody gets hurt."

"I don't believe you."

"So you're just gonna kill yourself without hearing me out?!"

Edward stared at the descending staircase below.

"I'm telling you, Ed! There is a way to save Lee..." Edward raised his foot, preparing to step off the edge. "...Without killing yourself!...Or killing _us_."

Edward pondered. If he listened to the Riddler, there was still a chance he could hurt Lee. He rationalized, probability said there was seventy percent chance of The Riddler killing Lee, twenty percent chance of the plan failing and a ten percent chance of the plan actually working. 

"Not interested," Edward said, taking a deep breath.

"No, no WAIT-!" 

"I'm sorry, Lee." Edward said.

And stepped off the edge.

Edward could faintly hear the Riddlers sounds of protest before they were cut off. Edward sputtered, his lungs begging for air as he dangled from the ledge. 

He was dying, the Riddler was dying too, out of the corner of his eye he could see his alter-ego crouched on the ground, his hands grasping at his own neck. He flickered out of view as dark starbursts appeared at the corner of Edward's vision.

He thought of Lee, beautiful Lee and the way her eyes gleamed with pride everytime Edward was onstage. He thought of Oswald, rotting in Arkham, he hadn't even given him a proper goodbye. Maybe he should have. Maybe their quarrel wasn't important anymore. 

He thought of his father and kicked himself for ending up exactly the way he pictured his son going.

He thought of Kristen and the way her throat crushed under his hands the way his was now and had a brief moment of lucidity to appreciate the irony of it before he was slipping away.

This was the right thing to do, wasn't it? Yes.

It's not as if anyone would miss him. 

His eyes drifted shut and his body sank, the sounds in his mind finally silenced as darkness swept in.

And that was it.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Jim Gordon came to tell her the news in the morning.

It didn't register at first what he was saying, she just heard the words "Edward Nygma committed suicide last night." And then nothing, she watched his lips move as he talked on about it. 

She finally came to when he put a hand on her shoulder.

"Lee? Are you okay?" 

She struggled for words, her mouth opening and closing as nothing came out. 

"...Why?"

She felt tears well up in her eyes, the gravity of the situation hit her like a ton of bricks.

"Why would he do something like this?!"

Jim wrapped his arms around her as she cried, burying her face in his chest.

"I don't know." 

 

* * *

 

They found drugs in his room. So many bottles of pills, it was a wonder that never killed him instead. Most of them weren't prescribed either, some of them never even had labels. 

Lee knew Edward had a drug problem before, but she never could've imagined this. 

She should've kept a closer eye on him, made sure he was okay, she knew how bad his mental health could get. She was just so caught up with restoring the Narrows and running her clinic, she forgot all about her friend. 

"Edward was going to tell me something before he left. It seemed...Important but he never said it. He had a look in his eyes that....I think he was going to tell me he loved me." She told Jim. 

"Really?"

"I know it sounds crazy but the way he looked at me...I saw that look before, back at the GCPD. With Kristen. He was just so...So..."

"In love?" Jim said, looking at her, a crease in his brow.

"...Yeah. In love." Lee could feel her eyes burning again and she bit her lip, trying her hardest not to cry. 

"Back when we were working together I...I should've talked to him more. Should've told the other guys to lay off of him, I shouldn't have pushed him away just because he was different." Jim said, gazing into his mug of coffee. 

Lee smiled.

"He was different, alright." 

The both of them were silent for a while, thinking of what to say. Or maybe just not wanting to speak at all. 

"Have they told Penguin yet? I know they were close."

"Not yet, I haven't had the chance to visit him. Not sure if I want to, honestly."

"I know you two aren't on the best terms but it would mean a lot to me if you told him. He...He's like me, I don't want him to be alone in this."

"I'll try." Jim said, giving her a small smile.

"Thank you." She placed her hand over his.

They sat there, together, as their coffee grew cold and Lee's tears dried up.

 

* * *

 

 

"Heya, Pengy." 

Oswald sighed as Jerome sat down next to him, without even asking. 

"What do you want, Valeska?" He said, staring daggers at the smiling man.

"Oh, nothing, just thought I'd offer my condolences. So sad, I hope you're not too torn up about it." Jerome laughed.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Jerome's eyes widened.

"Oh...Oh, you don't know...Oh god, this is a dilemma." 

Oswald felt a pit of anxiety in his stomach but convinced himself that Jerome was only messing with him.

"What, what is it?"

"I dunno if I should be the one to tell ya, Ozzie, it's some pretty heavy stuff."

"What is it, tell me!"

"Well, your ole pal Ed just kicked the bucket. Thought I'd come give ya some comfort since I know you two were..." Jerome coughed. "... _Pals_."

Oswald's face drained of colour as that pit in his stomach seemed to grow, digging into him like barbed wire. 

"You're lying." 

"Ahh, wish I was, buddy."

"If he did then how did he die? How would you know about it?!"

"People talk, Ozzie. It's like a high school of teen girls in here. Your ole pal Edward hanged himself, just..." He whistled, making a dropping motion with his gloved hand.

"No. That's not true, you're trying to get into my head!"

"Fine! Don't believe me, but ask anyone around here, they'll tell ya."

"You could've told them to say that!"

"Ohhhkay pengy, I can see you're not gonna believe me so I'm just gonna go. But trust me, Edward's as dead as a doornail." Jerome tapped the table twice, before disappearing back into the crowd of the canteen.

Oswald was finding it hard to breathe. 

He hobbled back to his cell, the guards locked him in. He curled up in his bed, rocking himself as tears ran down his face.

It wasn't true, it couldn't be. 

He was finding it hard to convince himself anymore.

* * *

 


End file.
